Microsoft Introduces Windows Phone 7 Series

Microsoft unveiled the Windows Phone 7 Series at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Feb. 15. The software represents Microsoft's attempts to regain market share in the smartphone space, where it has been losing ground to fierce competitors such as Apple's iPhone and Google Android. During the presentation, Microsoft executives demonstrated the operating system's user interface, which includes "hubs" that group together applications and social networking services, as well as integration with Xbox Live and Zune. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer predicted that Windows Phone 7 Series devices will be on sale by 2010's holiday season.

Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 7 Series, the company's latest hope for
reversing its declining share of the smartphone OS market, during a Feb. 15
press conference at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona,
Spain. By branding the
new operating system "Windows Phone 7 Series" in place of the
traditional "Windows Mobile," Microsoft seems to be emphasizing that
this offering is a clean break from previous versions.

"We needed and wanted to do some things that were out of the box,"
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told the
audience after a demonstration of the device. "You'll see us continue to
invest in our Windows Mobile 6.5 offering, but we started a whole new
generation here with Windows Phone 7 Series."

Ballmer also indicated that the devices will make their debut in time for the
holiday season at the end of the year.

Microsoft's attempt to differentiate itself in the crowded and competitive
smartphone arena is an operating system that groups a wide number of services
into what the company calls "hubs." Both Xbox Live and Zune software
will be integrated into the devices.

Those hubs include "People," "Pictures,"
"Office," "Music & Video" and "Games." As an
example, the "People" hub merges together data from Outlook, Windows
Live and other social networking services to provide real-time data about the
phone user's friends and colleagues; the "Office" hub syncs
applications such as OneNote with the user's PC and allows access to a
SharePoint server for collaboration with colleagues.

During the press conference, Microsoft officials seemed to de-emphasize the
role of mobile applications created by third-party developers, which are front and
center for smartphone competitors such as Apple's iPhone and Google Android
devices, in favor of focusing on the overall operating system and its syncing
with both the Web and the user's PC. However, Microsoft executives indicated to
eWEEK in a separate conversation Feb. 15 that there would be a mobile
applications marketplace for Windows Phone 7 Series devices, reminiscent
of the Mobile Marketplace that already exists for Windows Mobile 6.5.

Hardware partners on the initiative include Qualcomm for the optimization of hardware
and software, as well as a variety of OEMs-including Hewlett-Packard, HTC,
Sony Ericsson and Samsung-for crafting a core hardware specification across all
new Windows phones. A screen that flashed during the presentation indicated
that T-Mobile, Sprint, AT&T and Verizon will also be partners at launch.

AT&T and Orange will be key
collaborators, apparently, in the rollout, with AT&T defining itself at the
press conference as a "premier partner" for Windows Phone 7 Series in
the United States.
In a separate conversation with eWEEK, Microsoft executives suggested there
would be a minimum of physical variation between the Windows Phone 7 Series
smartphones produced by various manufacturers.

All Windows Phone 7 Series devices will include three hardware buttons: Start,
Back and Search, the last of which will route users to a dedicated Bing search
screen. As rumors suggested before the announcement, the new interface is
heavily reminiscent of the Zune HD, down to the fonts and menu navigation.

The devices will lack Flash support at the outset, something that Adobe took
pains in the hours leading to the press conference to emphasize was temporary.

"Microsoft and Adobe are working closely together," a spokesperson
from Adobe wrote in a Feb. 15 e-mail to eWEEK. "While the newest version
of Windows Phone won't support Flash at initial availability, both companies
are working to include a browser plug-in for the full Flash player in future
versions of Windows Phone. More details will be shared at Microsoft MIX next
month."

However, "we have no objection to Adobe Flash support," Ballmer said
during the conference, perhaps a dig at Apple CEO
Steve Jobs and his reported refusal to allow Flash onto the iPad tablet PC.

Early analyst views on Windows Phone 7 seem to be mixed. According
to a Feb. 15 blog posting by Forrester analyst Charles Golvin, elements
such as Xbox Live and Zune integration are positive steps, but "these features
won't matter if Microsoft doesn't get its branding in line. Our data shows that
consumers today haven't a clue about their phone's operating system."

Whether Microsoft can change such perceptions will determine whether the
company can endure in the mobile space. Ballmer emphasized during the press conference
that smartphones remain a "critical" part of the company's
"three screens and a cloud" strategy, and joked about how "seven
is our lucky number," an allusion to the bestselling Windows 7 operating
system.

Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.